IN-VITRO STUDY OF AFFERENT SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN THE ROSTRAL GUSTATORY ZONE OF THE RAT NUCLEUS OF THE SOLITARY TRACT

The synaptic responses of rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST) neurons to electrical stimulation of the solitary tract (ST) fibers were investigated using whole-cell recordings in brain slices of adult rat medulla. Most neurons of the rNST (47%) responded to stimulation of the ST with excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), 28% responded with mixed excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) and 25% responded with inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs). The estimated reversal potentials for the EPSPs (E(EPSP)) was - 7 mV and for the IPSPs (E(IPSP)) was - 69 mV. The glutamate antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) acting at the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate receptor, either reduced or blocked all EPSPs tested. D-2-Amino-5-phosphonovaierate (APV), a selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, also reduced the amplitude of the EPSPs. These results suggest that glutamate is released following stimulation of afferent fibers in the ST and acts on both AMPA/kainate and NMDA glutamate receptors. The IPSPs result from release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) since superfusion of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline reversibly blocked the IPSPs. The GABA(B) receptor antagonist, phaclofen, also reduced the IPSP components in some neurons, indicating that both GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors are involved in inhibitory transmission in the rNST. When the morphology of the recorded neurons was examined by filling the neurons with biocytin and reconstructing the neurons, each morphological type of rNST neuron responded with excitatory and inhibitory PSPs following stimulation of the ST.